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History & Specs

"Simply the Best"

Abel Axe guitars were designed by Jeff Abel of Wyoming and manufactured between 1994 and ~1996 and again in ~2001 with body slots instead of holes. The company, Abel Axe LLC, stopped production presumably because the guitars never caught on with the public. Less than 250 1994-1996 Abel Axe guitars exist -if even that many. Specs can be found in their brochure with the following additions:

• Body Styles: Small Strat-type body with holes available with a trem or fixed bridge. You'll notice subtle differences in hole beveling, spacing, and drilling depth if you examine the pictures closely. There was a single humbucker Abel Axe made with slots instead of holes (see Gallery). It appears to have come with a 21-fret Strat-head neck and a Kent Armstrong pickup. I don't know how many of these one-hums comprise the '94-'96 run.

• Pickups: The very first dozen or so models had DiMarzio humbuckers: PAF Pro in the neck position and Tone Zone in the bridge position. These were replaced almost immediately by Kent Armstrong pickups (at one point manufactured by Sky pickups): HRE-1 in the neck position and HSDE-1 in the bridge position. These awesome pickups are now called WPU10CLOSE|CLOSED COVER/BLACK and WPU11CLOSE|CLOSED COVER/BLACK and are sold through www.wdmusic.com. 

• Nut: At least three different materials were used. I've seen graphite, bone, and the locking nut that goes with the Kahler trem.

• Tuners are Sperzel Trimlok locking tuners.

• Frets: I've seen two different fret wire gauges used: Dunlop 6100 or Dunlop 6105 equivalent.

• Bridges: The vibrato bridge was a Kahler flatmount (also called Kahler pro) patent number 4457201 DS. The fixed bridge was model WD101 sold by WD Music Supply OR a different one (brand not known) with more screws into the body.

• Neck:
  1994-1996: Rosewood or maple fret boards on quarter sawn hard rock maple. The scale is 25.5 inches. The necks with the pointy headstocks were custom made by Musikraft, Inc. (the owner at the time was Gulab Gidwani). Headstocks were often modded by owners.
  Circa 2000: Warmoth.

• Price: An entry in the Guitar Player 1995-96 Guitar and Bass Buyer's Guide indicates a list price of $1395 or $1495 with the trem. 

• Finish: The aluminum guitar bodies came anodized (electrochemical finishing process for aluminum) in many different colors. There were only three done in grass green and about twenty done clear (i.e. silver-looking). They made them in red, black, blue, violet, gold, teal, a cool rust/green multicolor (see Guitar Shop review).

  Abel Axe guitars are not to be confused with the Rogue Aluminator. Rogue Aluminators, as can be seen from this picture, had a radically different routing scheme for the body, a hum/single/single pickup configuration, three mini switches, tilt-back headstock, non-locking tuners and no trem option. The bodies are lighter than the Swiss-cheese-routed twin hum Abel Axe. The only connection between the two is that the Abel Axe made the bodies for Rogue. A favorable review of the Rogue Aluminator appeared in a 1998 Musician's Friend catalog.

Abel Axe used the slot body pattern for their brief production in 2000-2001. For that production they changed anodizing methods to a thicker coating with more vibrant colors and used Warmoth necks. The price was $2500 for single-color, $2700 multi-color: see the Gallery. As of 2007 Abel Axe guitars with the slot body are available again on a custom-order basis with stunning finishes and custom necks: http://www.abelaxe.com!

  The tone of the twin-hum '94-'96 Abel Axe is the finest I've heard in a solid body guitar. I guess because of all the holes it could be called a semi-hollowbody. As the strings vibrate the body resonates like a bell and comes alive like no other guitar. The string and body vibrations feed off of each other creating amazing sustain. The guitar produces deep, rich tones unmatched by any wooden electric I've tried. The notes ring out very clearly with no added flavor: just pure bass, mid-range and treble. When distorted, it tears at the edge of reality. Wooden electric guitars going for a heavy tone have to rely on their electronics and end up with a generic heavy metal sound. The Abel Axe leverages its perforated super dense body mass to augment the sound.

  The Abel Axe with the Kahler trem weighs ~9.5lbs and has a small body measuring 15.5" x 11.25" x 1". It is extremely well-balanced and its rounded edges and super thin body make it comfortable to hold. The neck joint is the best in the business for a bolt-on guitar. The gallery pictures show how flat you can manufacture the heel using aluminum. The Abel Axe neck joint makes a joke of the "all access" neck joints of other companies.

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